This invention relates to baking equipment, and more particularly to apparatus for coating sheets of dough with fat, of the type having a container for receiving at least one block of fat, a nozzle space, and conveyor means for conveying the fat from the container to the nozzle space.
European Pat. No. 0 083 955 describes a pump system which is basically suitable for producing strips of fat. This pump system works on the principle of a rotary pump with two rotors.
However, apparatus for coating dough with butter and the like for use in the baking industry must meet very particular requirements. It must be capable of processing fats of very different consistencies. While the blocks of fat are being shaped into strips, optimum plasticization must take place. The fat should be warmed only a very little during the shaping operation, this being of great importance especially when butter is used. The amount of throughput must be very constant in order to obtain a strip of fat having only slight differences in weight per unit of length. It should be possible to obtain thin, homogeneous strips of fat having a homogeneous thickness down to about 2 mm.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for coating sheets of dough with fat which meets the foregoing requirements.
To this end, in the apparatus according to the present invention, of the type initially mentioned, the conveyor means are provided with parts for removing fat from the block of fat, and a stripper for at least partially taking away the fat in the removal parts and for supplying the same to the nozzle space, a nozzle orifice for discharging a strip of fat being provided at one end of the nozzle space.
One advantage of the inventive apparatus is that cubes of fat of commercial size can be loaded without being cut down, even when they are not uniform. Spaces are kept from forming between the individual cubes along the length of the conveyor roller. The tooth gaps of the conveyor roller are always completely filled even with fats of differing consistencies. In order to be able to press out thin strips of fat as well, considerable pressures can be produced in the nozzle portion, the fat being prevented thereby from flowing back. Otherwise, there would be no constant output. Both vegetable and animal fats may be used. By means of the 100% filling of the tooth gaps, even application of the fat, i.e., a homogeneous strip of fat, is produced. This is achieved inter alia by means of adjustable pressure on the blocks of fat. The adjustable pressure is necessary in order to achieve adaptation to the type of fat. The teeth along the circumference of the conveyor roller are undercut in order to be able to keep the pressure on the blocks of fat, and thus the increase in temperature of the fat, as low as possible. The fat still remaining in the tooth gaps after stripping is exchanged when a further layer is shaved off the block of fat, so that the undercut of the teeth is fully effective. The fat is removed in layers, which has the advantage of obtaining optimum plasticization.